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REVIEWS Northwest Africa, have a unique tropical cuisine and an affinity for dipping sauces, made from herbs, peppers, and olive oil, that are served alongside meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. I especially enjoyed making Casas' recipe for mojo pic6n, a spicy red Spanish cooking in The Heritage of Spanish Cooking. Written by two of Spain's leading food authorities, Alicia Rios and Lourdes March, this is a book of substance with authentic Spanish regional recipes and solid culinary history. The luxurious artwork and color photographs make this book as interesting to look at as it is to cook from. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on fish and shellfish. Seafood is an important element in Spanish cooking, and Spanish cooks have special ways of preparing it. I loved the recipe for merluza a la gallega (Galicianstyle hake) , a simple fish dish with fresh peas, olive oil, and sweet paprika "NO 01'110"5 OOO.fLAVOREO .. -, .�--,. -... ,---�-- , .. ,_- , --.. -. -.--- - ... .. _-----_ _ .. ----_ _-.. _ ·· .... .. .. ... --,--- t·_..... - .. _ .... _-­_ _-­ ---­ - _._--_ .. Beautiful and authoritative, The Heritage of Spanish Cooking features a wide range of authentic Spanish recipes. sauce, and serving it with papas arrugadas, or "wrinkled potatoes." As in all her cookbooks, Casas provides painstakingly detailed instructions as well as a glossary and a buyers' guide, making this book easy to use even if you don't live near a large urban area. Once you've experimented with the recipes in Casas' cookbooks, you can learn more about the ingredients and dishes that make up 84 that lets the flavor of the fish shine through. I substituted monkfish for hake with terrific results. One region of Spain that captured many people's attention during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona is Catalonia. Fortunately for food lovers, the Olympics coincided with the publication of a wonderfully authentic book on Catalan cuisine: The Catalan Country Kitchen. Marimar Torres, from a Spanish =E��.:=== - ....... ICE TITH POT,TOl1;S _ _ ......... ,' - - _ __ _. :=_-滟::=== ... ... ___ _ ... ... = §.;:滟-==== .. ..... _- winemaking family, felt compelled to write about her native cuisine after marrying an American, moving to California, and trying to describe the unique cuisine of this northeastern corner of Spain to her new friends. Characterized by the diversity of both its geography (mountainous and coastal) and its history (Italian, Jewish, and Arabic influences) , Catalan cuisine is an intriguing mix of savory and sweet. Meaty stews, such as Rabbit in Red Wine with Chocolate, Tomatoes Herbs or Rosalia's Chicken with Mushrooms, Onions elegant Mushroom Flan in Port Cream Sauce. Torres' vineyard and grape notes are insightful and round out her compelling portrait of Catalan cooking. & Tom Lacalamita is a kitchenequipment expert and cookbook author. Simon ter has just published his latest book, The Ultimate Pressure Cooker Cookbook. & PUBLISHING INFORMATION The Foods • & Wines of Spain, by Penelope Casas. Knopf, 1982. $26.50, hardcover; 457 pp. ISBN 0-394-51 348-7. iDelicioso!, by Penelope Casas. Knopf, 1996. $30, hardcover; The Heritage of Spanish Cooking, by Alicia Rios 458 pp. ISBN 0-679-43055-5. & Lourdes March. Random House, 1992. $45, hardcover; 256 pp. ISBN 0-67941 628-5. The Catalan Country Kitchen, by Marimar Torres. Addison-Wesley, 1992. $1 4.95, softcover; 179 pp. ISBN 0-201 -62469-9. Carrots in Almond-Saffron Sauce, are as typical as a simple salad of Fava Beans, Cured Ham Marimar Torres transforms the food of her Catalonian childhood into delicious, accessible recipes. & & Mint or an Schus- ALSO RECOMMENDED Another excellent book on Catalan cooking, Catalan Cuisine, by Colman Andrews, is out of print but worth tracking down for its historical insight, authentic recipes, and sources. You can still find it in cookbook stores and through mail-order sources (see below). Likewise, three other excellent Spanish cookbooks, all originally published in England, are worth seeking out. Two are by Elisabeth Luard, an English journalist and artist who lived in the hilly region of Andalucia for several years. Her illustrations in The Flavors of Andalucia (Collins & Brown) are as charming as her recipes for Gypsy-Style Eggs and Prawns in Raincoats. And La Ina Book of Tapas (Simon & Schuster UK) is Luard's authentic collection of tapas. Another excellent author, Maria Jose Sevilla, gives a fascinating look at the unique seaside cuisine of the Basque region in Ufe the Basque Country. Sources for these books include Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York (21 2/876-5550); the Books for Cooks catalogue (800/355-CHEF); and Jessica's Biscuit Cookbook Catalogue (800/878-4264). FINE COOKING & Food in